Coat



May 23, 1939. I J. SIEGEL 2,159,408

COAT

Filed Aug. 13, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0 INVENTOR Jase 0h $239191 8 BY a, W: M {ATTORNEYS May 23, 1939.

J. SIEGEL COAT Filed Aug k 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENTOR Joseph/5" e6 ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My present invention is capable of embodiment in various types of coats or jackets or coatlike garments. Any such garment constructed in accordance with my invention permits free and unrestricted movement of the wearers arms.

' The invention is however peculiarly well suited for application to an ordinary sack coat for at least two important reasons. In the first place it permits the wearer of the sack coat to move his arms in any direction without disturbing the hang or fit of the coat properthis in direct contra-distinction to present types of sack coat construction where lifting of the arms caused lifting of the entire coat body as the lifting stress is imparted there by the sleeves. In the second place this result is accomplished without in any manner altering the appearance of the coat at times when the wearers arms are hanging at his sides. This latter is a very important factor in view of the well established repugnance of most men to freak or tricky clothes. It permits the production of business suits which will fit even better than those now employed, due to the fact that the sack coat will not lift or twist as the arms are moved-and yet which will permit much freer arm movement while retaining the wholly conventional appearance of the coat.

The desired result is accomplished by the provision of relatively deep normally concealed pleats at the line of junction of the coat body and sleeve. These pleats are deepest under the arm pits and of progressively decreasing width toward the top of the shoulder seam and disappear altogether at the top of such seam. They provide in effect a sort of universal joint connection between the coat body and sleeve capable of compensating for movement of the arm in any direction by yielding to prevent the stress on the sleeve from being transmitted to the body of the coat.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a crescentiform pleat so constructed and arranged that it cannot become everted. Preferably a limiting strip associated with the pleat and connecting one fold of the pleat to the coat lining, interlining or so called front prevents expansion or opening of the pleat to a point where it might become turned inside out.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means to prevent the pleat edge from curling or twisting. In other words, the pleat is so tailored that it will always be completely concealed when the arm of the wearer hangs at his side and cannot belly or sag open due to repeated fiexings.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a lining for the coat so constructed that it will yield freely as the pleat expands or opens and will not act as a limiting means to restrict the opening of the pleat nor as a stress transmitting means to cause distortion or lifting of the coat as the arm of the wearer is raised.

Despite the manifold advantages obtained by the use of the present invention the cost of manufacture of a coat or other garment embodying the invention is but negligibly increased.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating my improved coat in position on a wearer.

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken from a different angle.

Fig. 3 is an inside perspective view showing the lining of a coat embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and showing the pleat substantially closed. I

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the position of the parts when the arm of the wearer has been raised to fully open the pleat.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional detail on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the inside lining of the coat removed to expose the limiting strip.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating a slight modification in which a special line of stitching is employed to inhibit curling and restrict opening of the pleat.

Fig, 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the position of the parts when the pleat is open.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but illustating a further modification in which the limiting strip has been omitted altogether and the line of stitching is relied upon to limit the opening of the pleat.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but with the pleat fully opened.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to '7 inclusive of the drawings I have used the reference numeral II] to designate the body of the sack coat provided with sleeves which are connected to the body by a shoulder seam I2. The usual lining material of the coat is indicated at l3 and the conventional front, usually composed of canvas or of other stifiening material is shown at M.

Instead of the usual direct connection of the sleeves to the coat body the shoulder pleat has a special connection which I shall now describe.

A pair of crescentiform pleat forming strips l5 and I6 are interposed below the body and the sleeves. These pleat forming strips are widest under the arm pits and have tapering ends which terminate short of the upper or exposed top portion of the shoulder seam.

The strip I6 is secured to the coat body by double lines of stitching IT and I8, the latter line of stitching serving to maintain the edge of the crescent shaped pleats against casual deformation or eversion, and to restore the pleat to its normally folded or closed position after it has been partially or completely opened by a stress imposed on the sleeves or sleeve.

It is customary to provide the usual sack coat with the front M of any suitable material (usually canvas or padded canvas) which aids in preserving the desired stiffness or drape of the coat.

This material is made use of in the present instance by sewing thereto one edge of a crescentiform limiting strip IS the other edge of which is sewed to one or the other of the crescent shaped pleat-forming member I5 or IE to prevent eversion of the pleat even under abnormal stresses.

Considering the coat quite independently of the usual lining material l3, it will be apparent that the pleat forming strips l5, l6 will permit the arm to be moved in any direction without transmitting a pulling strain from the sleeves to the coat body. The maximum depth of the pleat corresponds to the maximum potential directional movement of the arm and the remainder of the pleat is accordingly designed; it being borne in mind that movement of the arm (hanging loosely at the side) toward the body is impossible and that direct lifting movement thereof represents maximum insofar as possible coatbody lifting or distortion is concerned.

The problem of so attaching the coat lining to the coat that the lining will not impede the freedom of movement otherwise afforded by the pleat construction may be solved in various ways. The method illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive is merely typical.

Pleats 20 and 2| in the lining respectively horizontally and vertically disposed will serve the purpose of permitting the lining to stretch freely as the pleats open without imposing any lifting or twisting strains on the body of the coat.

In Figs. 8 and 9-1 have shown the limiting strip I9 augmented by the use of a line of anti-curling stitching 25 of a type to prevent eversion of the pleat forming strips even though the entire lining and interlining were dragged forth by main strength and violence. This line of stitching is most remote from the stitching line l8 under the armpits and approaches the latter line of stitching toward the top of the shoulder seam for reasons which will be apparent from the foregoing description.

The construction shown in Figs. 10 and 11 is identical with that above described save that the limiting strip I9 is omitted altogether and the line of stitching 25 is relied upon to prevent eversion of the crescentiform pleat.

It is to be understood that the term coat as used in the appended claims is intended not only to cover all types of coats or jackets to which my present invention is applicable but also to cover any generally analogous coat type garment capable of advantageously utilizing the invention.

I claim:

1. A coat including a body portion and a sleeve portion, an infolded pleat below the arm hole of the coat and connecting the body and sleeve portions to form an expansible connection therebetween, a front on the inner side of the outer garment layer below the arm hole of the coat, and means for preventing eversion of said pleat resulting from expansion of said connection, and including a limiting strip sewed at one edge to said front and at the other edge to one fold of the pleat, said strip being folded to form an expansion connection between said latter fold and said front in down position of said sleeve portion, and being unfolded to prevent complete unfolding of the pleat when said arm portion is raised to a predetermined position.

2. A coat including a body portion and a sleeve portion, an infolded pleat below the arm hole of the coat and connecting the body and sleeve portions to form an expansible connection therebetween, and means for preventing eversion of said pleat and including a limiting member affixed to one of the folds of said pleat and a fixed portion of said coat, and disposed on the inner side of said body portion as to be concealed from view,

said member being untensioned in down position of the sleeve portion to permit limited unstrained movement of said sleeve portion, and being tentioned when said sleeve portion is raised to a predetermined amount to prevent complete unfolding of said pleat.

3. A coat including a body portion and a sleeve portion, an infolded pleat below the arm hole of the coat and connecting the body and sleeve portions to form an expansible connection therebetween, a front on the inner side of the outer garment layer below the arm hole of the coat, and means for preventing eversion of said pleat and including a limiting member affixed to one of the folds of said pleat and said front and concealed between said fold and said front, said member being untensioned in down position of the sleeve portion to permit limited unstrained movement of said sleeve portion, and being tensioned when said sleeve portion is raised to a predetermined amount to prevent complete unfolding of said pleat.

4. A coat including a body portion and a sleeve portion, an infolded pleat below the arm hole of the coat and connecting the body and sleeve portions to form an expansible connection therebetween, and means for preventing eversion of said pleat and including stitching affixing the folds of one of said pleats to a fixed portion of said. coat, and disposed adjacent a fold line of said pleat whereby complete unfolding of said pleat along said fold line is precluded when said sleeve potrion is raised to a predetermined amount.

JOSEPH SIEGEL. 

